P-51s at War!

[Jack Cook]

Capt Jack Coonan 38th FS 55th FG
[IMG]

The great Chuck Gumm 355th FS 354th FG

Capt Lou Curdes 3rd ACG

Maj Grant Smith 318th FS having a beer after a ME-109 kill


Lt Dick Penrose 339th FG

and Bud!

[visaliaaviation]

I believe the "Bud"photo above shows correct shape of most P-51D canopies. Sides are not flat but section is perfectly round. I also believe this is also correct shape of malcombe (sp?) hood too. AFAIK, only stock P-51D-5-NA's had hood with somewhat flatter sides. often seen replaced with later styles, both Dallas and Inglewood.The current thinking is that round section gave better visibility.Comments/corrections???

[PatM]

What's with the american flag on the Curdes aircraft. Is he the guy who forced down the C-47 before it landed on the Japanese held island?

[frankspeaks]

yup, thats him

Hmmm.... I thought he forced it down with bullets....

[Jack Cook]

I believe the "Bud"photo above shows correct shape of most P-51D canopies.

Strange as it seems, when that spinner & prop where about 5' after I really wasn't thinking about the contour of the canopy!

[Chicoartist]

Wonderful stuff, Jack.

Wade

[visaliaaviation]

Sorry gentlemen, I'm a bit anal about Mustang shapes. Meant no disrespect for the photo or its clicker. I do appreciate a great view!
thanks,

[systemofadown1162]

Whats that tarp stuff under the wheels in the first photo?

[Jack Cook]

Whats that tarp stuff under the wheels in the first photo?

PSP aka Marston Mat aka Pierced Steel Plank were pre-formed sections that were joined together to form instant taxiways
or runways on unimproved airstrips. Know to be slick has snot when wet.

[Robbie Stuart]

Jack, thanks for posting as always those great pics. You are a cool guy!
Robbie

[systemofadown1162]

Oh cool. Thanks.

[TAdan]

Capt Lou Curdes 3rd ACG

Any more info on his C-47 score? Sounds like an interesting story.

[Jack Cook]

Louis Curdes joined the Army Reserves on March 12, 1942. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt, and rated a pilot on December 3, 1942 at Luke Field, Arizona. He joined the 329th FG, but transferred to the 82nd FG, 95th FS, where he saw action over North Africa, Sardinia and Italy flying P-38Gs. On April 29, 1943 he shot down three German Me-109s and damaged a fourth near Cap Bon, Tunisia. Two more Me-109s fell to his guns near Villacidro, Sardinia on May 19. On June 24 he brought down an Italian Mc.202 over Golfo Aranci, Sardinia. Another Me-109 was damaged on July 30 at Pratice di Mare, Italy. His last two victories in the Mediterranean Theater were two Me-109s over Benevento, Italy. During that combat he was forced down and taken prisoner. He escaped from the POW camp on September 8, 1943 and evaded behind German lines until crossing into Allied territory on May 24, 1944. He requested combat duty in the Pacific, and joined the 4th FS 3rd Air Commando Group in August 1944. On February 7, 1945 he shot down a Dinah while flying a P-51D thirty miles SW of Formosa. This feat made him one of three aces to have shot down enemy aircraft of all three Axis Powers. On February 10, 1945 he shot-up an American C-47 which was attempting to land on a Japanese held airstrip in the Batan Islands, Philippines; a chain of small islands north of Luzon. The aircraft force landed and thirteen crew and passengers were rescued. One of the passengers was a nurse that he later married. An American flag was added to the German, Italian and Japanese flags painted on his P-51D. After the war he transferred to the Air Force. He was promoted to Maj on September 1, 1951, and retired from the Air Force as a LtCol in October 1963 and was awarded 2 DFCs, Purple Heart, 15 Air Medals, 2 PUCs, and 8 battle stars

[gregv]

found this on the 'net, from the book by Gallagher, James P, with the Fifth Army Air Force: Photos from the Pacific Theater:


"Curdes's aircraft carried symbols of victories over German, Italian, and Japanese pilots, making his plane a subject of much admiration. But the question so often arose, "What the heck is the story on that American marking?" The story traces to the middle of February 1945, when Curdes flew over Formosa as a member of a four-plane sweep (downing one Japanese plane). On the way home, the flight decided to do a little work on the small island of Batan. This enemy-held island (not to be confused with Bataan, the site of a death march the victorious Japanese forced the defenders of Corrigidor [sic] to make in early 1942) was located about 150 miles north of Luzon, known as Basco strip. During the attack ground fire hit one of the Mustangs, and a few minutes later an American pilot was floating around in a rubber dinghy. One of the 51s headed high to send out an SOS and a fix, while the other two headed home for help.
Circling low in a protective pattern, Curdes spotted a C-47 heading to Batan, apparently believing the airstrip to be under U.S. control. Curdes felt he had to intervene, lest the transport and all aboard fall into enemy hands. Unable to make radio contact with the C-47 or any American base nearby, he shot out one, then two, of the plane's engines, sending the C-47 into a water landing. He flew over the scene long enough to notice a dozen Americans, including nurses, in the rubber raft. He headed home, having done all he could, good or bad. The story ends well. The next morning he and a wingman flew out at daybreak to cover the rescue of the Americans. As the 51s circled protectively over the downed people, a PBY Catalina picked them all up, including the downed Mustang pilot. The pilot of the C-47 had indeed expected to land on Basco strip. Curdes actually won the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down one of our own C-47s."

talk about having a brass pair...and good shooting.

interesting bit of history

cheers

greg v.

[gregv]

Also, any avid fan of author Clive Cussler's fiction series should recognize this scenario; Cussler's character "Dirk Pitt" forced down his future boss "Admiral James Sandecker" in the exact same way and for the same reason, except IIRC it was during Vietnam, not WWII. Good luck trying that with a 20mm gatling gun, though...

The more I read, the more I realize where things have been inspired (or sometimes "borrowed") from...

sorry for the obscure off-topic trivia

cheers

greg v.